


Picture Perfect

by KimliPan



Series: Picture Perfect [1]
Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Canon Compliant, Cooking, Fluff and Angst, Friends to Lovers, M/M, Photography, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-10-27
Updated: 2017-11-05
Packaged: 2019-01-23 20:41:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,467
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12516120
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KimliPan/pseuds/KimliPan
Summary: Ignis and Prompto didn't know each other that well before their journey began. As Ignis sees more of Prompto, he sees a different side of him that's more serious than he realized -- and the more Prompto sees of Ignis, the more he realizes he's not so serious at all. Dumb boys falling in love!





	1. I - Ignis

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote a dumb little character drabble a while back and this is within the realm of that drabble. Also Happy Birthday Prompto! Fic is un-beta'd.

“You know, you’re not so scary once you get to know ya.”

Ignis looked up from his phone to level his gaze on Prompto who had taken the liberty of relieving the entirety of his weight into the Coleman chair in one solid, hearty _flop_.

“I’m unsure as to whether or not that’s meant to be a compliment.” He locked his phone, placing his attention instead on the young man with his fingers locked behind his head, a shrug and a care-free smile making Ignis fond. Prompto was a fairly recent acquisition in Noctis’s life that Ignis didn’t take very seriously at the start. The boy had a proclivity for ineptitude.

“Ehh. You know.”

Ignis gave a soft chuckle and sat back, crossing his legs, waiting for Prompto to continue. “I do not,” he pressed.

“It’s just. You’re so serious. Never thought we’d end up friends like this.”

Ignis raised a sharp brow, watching Prompto with a mockery of skepticism. “ _Friends_ like what?” he teased, but Prompto laughed it off well enough, kicking his feet up onto the seat in front of him.

Noctis’s grunting as he thrust his lance at Gladio sobered the both of them briefly. Beside the two of them lounging at the haven, Noctis was letting his steam out on Gladio in the sand. Ignis glanced over to watch him warp strike the taller man and he pursed his lips, listening to Prompto.

“When we first started hanging out,” he began, less air and ease in his voice than before. It struck a chord in Ignis’s chest, and he let out a slow breath. There was no forgetting the death of the king, even in pleasant company. “You didn’t exactly like me.”

“I didn’t know you, Prompto,” Ignis said, a little surprised by the notion. He hadn’t _disliked_ Prompto; he had just assumed his presence would be transient at best. Prompto gave a half-hearted grin and rubbed the back of his head, letting his feet fall back down to the ground. Ignis looked down at his near-empty can of Ebony and frowned. When he looked up again, Prompto was holding his camera pointed directly at him.

When the camera lowered again, Ignis said, “Well. Dinner should be ready. Help me serve it?”

 

Ignis wasn’t always the first to rise. In fact, he was almost always second to Gladio. It was a bit unusual, however, to see _two_ empty sleeping bags before he even put his glasseson. Noctis likely would be sleeping a long time; he had been tossing and turning all night. Something in his dreams getting the better of him, perhaps. With the enormous weight he now had on his chest, restless sleep was no surprise.

Best to make him a hearty breakfast, he decided as he threw on his grey undershirt and stepped out of the tent.

Prompto was standing by the shore, looking out at the sea with his camera hanging listlessly at his side. It was unusually pensive, Ignis thought, but the boy did have an eye for art. Ignis knew that had to have a kind of thoughtfulness that he himself would never understand. Even yet, the stillness claimed by Prompto in that moment startled him. He stilled his own self, eyes locked on the slender form wondering what kinds of thoughts effected him as such.

His camera likely held some beautiful photos of the sunrise over the Quay.

No matter.

It was time to prepare a meal, and thus it was time to surrender to work. He grabbed a couple of birdbeast eggs and some gighee ham, seasoning the meat after setting the pan on the heat.

While he worked, Gladiolus returned to the haven a sweaty mess, rubbing his head with a towel as he walked over to the sizzling skillet.

“Smells good.”

“You look like you worked up an appetite,” Ignis said as he flipped the toast, perfectly golden brown if he did say so himself. He leaned against the tabletop and looked up at Gladio, out of the corner of his eye catching Prompto with his camera out. He gave a small smile without meaning to and placed his other hand on his hip, raising a brow as he rounded his gaze on the blonde.

“I may begin to charge a modeling fee,” he said as Prompto snapped another shot.

“Nah, you’re lucky I’m not already charging _you_ ,” Prompto teased back, which made Gladio bark a laugh.

Breakfast seemed to cook much more quickly once he was in good company again, with Prompto flopping into a chair while Gladio stood around waiting for his portion. Once Noctis woke up, however, the three of them fell quiet. Ignis couldn’t help but feel a minutia of guilt over enjoying himself when the weight of their reality was quite heavy indeed.

Once he began plating the food, Prompto rushed to his feet, taking two of the plates to pass to Noctis and Gladio.

“Thank you, Prompto,” he said quietly as he handed him his own serving.

“Not a problem,” he replied, and for a very brief moment, Prompto flashed him what looked like a soulless smile – it was sad, hollow and distant, his eyes vacant and his posture stiff. It was gone the instant he returned his attention to Noctis, and Ignis couldn’t help but ask about it later while Noctis passed the time fishing and Gladio stayed close to the dock.

Ignis approached Prompto lying in the sand, eyes up at the sky. He stood over him and tilted his head, wondering which version of Prompto he would find here – the pensive one, or the friendly one. Prompto’s hands went to his camera on his chest, and he pointed the camera up at Ignis, smirking.

Ignis smiled back and placed his hands on his hips.

“You mentioned our _friendship_ the other day,” he said.

“Do I need to take it back?” Prompto asked, and the cheeky question made Ignis chuckle.

“No,” he said as he settled himself onto the sandy ground beside Prompto. “I just wanted to reiterate that in fact I rather like you, Prompto.” He sat cross-legged and placed his hands on his knees, looking out at the sea wondering how on earth they were going to get to Altissia now; as helpful as Dino promised to be, Ignis doubted he’d be able to follow through.

“Yeah?” Prompto sat up and bumped his shoulder against Ignis’s. “That mean you’re kinda nice under your calm, cool façade?”

“No,” Ignis said again, leaning back against the pressure from Prompto. His shoulder was warm, and the affectionate gesture was oddly soothing. “I am definitely not nice. I am, however, willing to listen if something’s bothering you.”

Ignis did not regret his words, but he did regret the sudden stiffness in Prompto’s shoulders and the absence of contact that followed. After a moment of silence, he sighed, cast his eyes down, then considered his words carefully as he added, “Or I can simply offer you pleasant company,” which was somewhere Ignis often found comfort.

And it apparently applied to Prompto as well. Even though the contact did not return, Prompto let out a small laugh and a quiet, “Thanks,” before laying back down.

It seemed like a bigger sadness beyond sympathy for his friend’s loss, but Ignis decided not to pry tonight.


	2. II - Prompto

Noctis really needed a victory. Prompto was so sure an achievement of any kind would help his mood, which was why he was so relieved when they finally made it to Lestallum.

Their arrival did, however, make Prompto feel a little out of place. While he and Noctis shared five whole years of friendship, he still felt like an outside looking in when everyone else got together. Always waiting for the right thing to say or the right time to say it. It wasn’t a big deal, he would just fall back and default to taking pictures instead: of Gladio’s secret relief when he finally laid eyes on his little sister; of Iris, eager and excited to share all the news she’d absorbed since leaving the city; and of Noctis, hiding his smile behind a blasé air.

This was good.

Prompto could be there all he wanted – and he would, of course, as much as Noctis needed him – but there was a limit to how much healing only his company could do.

That’s why family was good. Gladio’s family was practically Noctis’s family, after all. So Prompto would document their achievement as best he could, taking as many photos as possible, and even a few selfies for the laughs.

“And, say _chocobo buuuuutt_!” he called out with the camera out in front of himself and Iris who was hanging on his shoulder, laughing. As he snapped the shot, across the room Noctis fell from where he stood arms-cross and lips pursed to the ground, hands on his head in an instant.

“Noct!” He dropped his camera onto the bed and rushed to the ground, holding a hand out to touch his best friend’s trembling shoulder. He stopped just shy.

Ignis, too, hurried over, and stooped down to bring Noctis back up to his feet, one hand on his elbow, the other around his waist. “Are you alright?” he asked, placing Noctis on the bed. “Another headache?”

The prince winced and nodded while Prompto stood with a fit in his gut, shifting awkwardly as he wondered what he could do. He felt so helpless as he ran to the hotel bathroom to fetch a glass of water, stopping on the return just short of the group that circled around Noctis, leaving no room for him.

“I- I got you some water,” he piped up, and Ignis waved him in, taking the glass to hand it to Noctis.

“You’re making Prompto worry,” Ignis said, with a quick glance Prompto-wise, which made Prompto’s face heat up. The attention felt awkward.

“Wouldn’t want that,” Noctis said in his usual cheeky voice. Prompto practically collapsed with relief; if Noctis was joking again, they were fine.

This was good. Even with the increasing headaches, Noctis was acting like himself again.

“Jeez, you really had us going there!” he said, wrapping an arm around Iris’s shoulders. Time to lighten the mood. Make everyone smile. That was the best he could do.

And he did his best, working around the room going from Iris to Noct to Gladio. He offered to deal out a hand of cards, and they did start playing but the conversation quickly devolved into the three of them laughing about something that happened back before Prompto knew them.

He sat back and listened, happy to see them happy, when he glanced to Ignis on the other side of the room and saw the other man watching him.

He felt his cheeks heat again. Flustered, his hands fumbled and dropped the cards as he tried to clean them up pretending that they hadn’t just locked eyes. Ignis rose to his feet and tapped on Prompto’s shoulder before retreating to the balcony. Prompto wondered a moment if he should follow, but Noctis got his attention for another hand and Prompto chose to oblige.

Quite a while had passed since Ignis’s invitation, but when again the three others were distracted from the card game, Prompto decided to pay him a visit. He picked up his camera and stopped at the threshold of the balcony, pausing to admire Ignis’s refined frame against the cloudless starry night. He looked so cosmopolitan up against the city skyline, suspenders and glasses and all. Had he asked Prompto out there to yell at him? Come to think of it, the glass of water was probably the wrong thing to do. And after all, it had been Ignis who had to swoop in and help Noctis where Prompto had fallen short. _And_ he’d been doing nothing but pester Noctis since the headache happened.

Shaking his head to snap himself out of it, he raised his camera and snapped a quick shot of the grown man leaning up against the guardrail, catching him just as he smiled at something happening on the ground.

It was a very handsome portrait, he thought as he finally steeled his resolve to join him – but just as he was about to step out, there was a knock on the door. Jared and Talcott.

Whatever it was, the moment passed.

 

Birds chirping and city bustle were the first sounds Prompto heard as the sunlight that poured in from the split of the curtains brushed against his eyes. He groaned and stretched, surprised at how late he slept in – which made him extra grateful for the nice soft beds they got. He briefly considered moving the pillow over his head to block out the sun and the sounds, but he made the mistake of lifting his head to see Iggy and Gladio talking in a hushed whisper, both of their eyes on him and the still-sleeping prince.

He groaned and let his head flop back.

Ignis rose to his feet.

“I’ve some errands to run and I’d like it very much if you could help me, Prompto.”

He grabbed the pillow out from under his own head and covered his face. Ignis’s footsteps could be heard approaching, and before Prompto knew it, the pillow was plucked away to reveal Ignis looking down at him with an amused smirk.

“I’m afraid you can’t hide from me that easily,” he teased, and Prompto gave an exaggerated sigh in response, hoping to make Ignis laugh. It succeeded, and he sat up, ruffling his own hair as he put his feet on the ground.

“Do I have to?” he asked, to which Ignis replied simply,

“I’ll be waiting downstairs.”

“And don’t wake the princess,” Gladio said, gesturing toward Noctis with his thumb. He somehow managed to stay asleep through the commotion, and continued to sleep as Ignis and Gladio left the room. They must be really worried about him if even Gladio didn’t want to nudge him out of bed.

Prompto did as he was told, tip-toeing around the room as he hunted for his clean clothes and styling mousse. And he thought he did a good job of it too, until he stepped out of the bathroom and saw Noctis lying there with his eyes locked on the ceiling.

He glanced over to Prompto.

“Don’t tell them I’m up yet, will ya?” He ran his hands through his messy bedhead, pushing the dark hair from his eyes.

“And deprive Gladio the chance to torment you for sleeping in so late?” Prompto asked with mock-indignation. “I would never!”

Noctis chuckled. Good, that was the right response. “Thanks,” he said, before grabbing the blanket and rolling back over. Less good, but not bad.

They both stayed quiet as Prompto finished dressing and laced up his boots. He wondered if Noctis was okay, if he should let him sleep in – or maybe if he should encourage Noct to come with them and get some things done. The rest of the bustle went with the both of them staying quiet, but as he grabbed the doorknob, Noctis sat up.

“Wait.”

Prompto stopped and turned to him, ready for anything he might need.

“You… don’t have to worry,” he said. Prompto let out a breath of relief. “About me. I’ll be fine.”

“Of course I’m worried,” Prompto couldn’t help but spit out.

Noctis gave a half-smile, then laid back down. “Don’t keep Iggy waiting.”

 

Ignis stood in the Leville lobby with his nose in his notebook, scratching something into the margin of one of his lists. Prompto ran up and pat him on the back, whirling around with a bright, cheerful grin as Ignis said a quiet “ah!” and they both left the hotel.

“We grocery shopping?” he asked as they walked down the way to the market together.

“That we are. I hoped to restock some of the spices, namely that green curry you seem to like.”

“Aw, for me?”

“Indeed,” he said, as he passed the list onto Prompto. There were quite a few ingredients for the meals that Prompto loved, and a few for Noctis as well. And cup noodles, of course, for Gladio.

“We should get some flour, too,” Prompto said as he handed the notebook back. “For those sweets you like.”

“I’m surprised you noticed,” Ignis answered, his voice a bit higher than normal. Prompto didn’t think it was that hard to tell, what with the way Iggy took those teeny tiny bites and closed his eyes between each taste. Maybe next time, Prompto can take a picture so he can show him. “Anyway, it’s the curry we’re after for today. Perhaps once we’re in Altissia, we can indulge in sweets.”

By the time they finished in the market, they’d already spent more than their planned budget. Prompto was toting the heavy paper bags full of meats and veggies, and Ignis meanwhile was carrying his notebook and pen, crossing items off as they walked and shifting un-purchased lines onto a fresh page “for another day.”

They took the long way back by mistake, passing by several vendors selling their wares from windowfront booths. With both his arms weighed down by the heavy bags from their errands, Prompto felt himself complaining more than observing, but the glint of jewelry caught his eye and he couldn’t help but look.

“Do you think Dino’s doing alright?” he asked as he wandered idly over to the booth, shifting the weight of the bag higher on his hip once he stopped walking.

“I’m sure he’ll be just fine, he’s resourceful.”

When Prompto glanced back at Ignis, he was pocketing the notebook, stopping to admire the wares as well.

“Look at this,” he said, and Prompto’s eyes followed Ignis’s long fingers as they reached out and separated a chain on which dangled a tiny silver camera charm. “It’s perfect for you, Prompto, wouldn’t you say?”

“It’s so cool!” He shifted the bags against his hip so he could lean in to see it, but already Ignis was setting the piece on the counter to pay. “H-hey,” he protested, unable to do much with the bags still weighing him down. “We don’t have the gil-“

“Hush,” Ignis said. “No one needs to know.” He pocketed the change then lifted the chain to drape it around Prompto’s neck. Prompto had no choice but to bow his head and allow its passage, his cheeks flushing a bright red at his inability to stop it.

“But why?” he asked, any other words or thoughts at the gesture amassed in a jumbled ball of confusion at the center of his throat. Just last night he was convinced Ignis was probably going to scold him, but now he was getting rewarded with curry and jewelry and Ignis was even reaching out to take one of the bags.

“Seems like you could use a little pick-me-up,” Ignis answered so matter-of-factly he felt stupid for even thinking Ignis was mad at all.

Prompto’s now-free hand went to the charm dangling from his neck and he admired it close before tucking it under his shirt.

“Thanks,” he said, all anxiety melting away into comfort. He remembered that night on the beach not too long ago, where Ignis promised him pleasant company. A pang of guilt over his past made it hard for his pleasure to last – sure enough Ignis and the rest of them would find out and cast him away. But at least he would have the memories. “It means a lot,” he added.


	3. III - Ignis

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is not the chapter I set out to write! But it is the chapter that happened. :o Let me know what you think! They are ridiculously fun for me to write. Also, I do plan to add chapter titles to make it easier. Maybe I'll update them when I add the next chapter. Thank you!

Ignis didn’t have a choice – the moment the rocks began to crumble, Prompto was on his backside, splayed out on the ground as it sank beneath them. If Ignis paused even a second to consider, the consequences could have been unthinkable. Without even seeing anything else, Ignis launched himself toward Prompto’s arm gripping it as tightly as he could to pull the other man onto more stable terrain. Prompto scrambled backwards into him, and once they were safe, they watched helplessly as the prince and his shield fell deeper into the rocky ravine.

Horror set in as they both jumped to their feet. Noctis dangled over the freefall into the fiery well of lava by the grace of Gladio’s grip. Despite the rumbling of the earth and the cries of the animals living within the crater, Ignis heard nothing but the blood rushing to his own ears and Noctis’s groans as Gladio held him tight.

Prompto latched a hand around Ignis’s wrist as if bracing himself for what he was about to see when Gladio managed to grab Noctis by the back of his jacket.

They were both safe.

“Noct!” Prompto cried out once the two of them were able to stand. “You okay?!”

“Thank heavens you’re safe,” Ignis agreed, his eyes scanning the ledges for any rock-climbing opportunity he might be able to suggest. Every single one of them seemed ill-advisable. “Is there a way back up?”

“No, but there’s a path. Gonna see where it leads.” Of course it couldn’t be straight forward. No matter. Ignis frowned and tried to see down the path, but the cliff face stood in his way.

He and Prompto would have to find their own way down, a though whicht Gladio validated with a suggestion.

“Very well,” said Ignis, “We’ll look for a way.” Then, unable to contain it as Gladio and Noctis disappeared down the path, he blurted out a quick, “Be careful now!” just as Prompto found it appropriate to shout,

“We’re going where?!”

Ignis let out an amused huff and turned to Prompto with his hands on his hips. _I’m afraid we’ll have to be his highness’s eyes and ears on this one_ , he thought to himself as he eyed his travel partner to assess their combined strength.

“Let’s keep our ears to the ground,” he said as he gave Prompto’s upper arm a pat. It was time to get moving. He walked past Prompto, setting for the downward path that was revealed to them by the tremors caused by the Titan. “I’d like us returned to Noctis’s side as quickly as possible.”

“I knew it was all too good to be true,” Prompto said as he jogged to catch up at a slight delay.

“What was too good?”

Prompto ran past Ignis to hop up on top of a rock that led to a boulder, no doubt scouting for their missing companions. Ignis paused to watch him, unaware at first of his own gaze as it lingered on Prompto’s hand held above his eyes to block out the sun. As it drifted down his arms and landed on Prompto’s biceps, however, he felt a flush on his cheeks as he cleared his throat and looked away.

“Oh, sorry!” Sorry? Oh. He thought the clearing of his throat was directed at the brief silence. “Yeah, Noct. All that – after all the stuff.” Prompto hopped down off the boulder, landing with a light bounce. Like a cat.

“If by _stuff_ you mean all the…” Ignis paused, thinking how else he _could_ summarize it. “Well. _Stuff_.” He grimaced at his words, but Prompto laughed, walking on ahead as now Ignis followed at a delay.

“Well said, Specs.”

“Why, thank you.”

“He just really needs a victory, you know?”

Ignis considered the question. Already they had four of the royal arms, and Gladiolus was reunited with his sister. Their small network was steadily growing, and Noctis was becoming stronger by the day. All of them were. “A victory,” he repeated, trying to get a feel for the concept as Prompto framed it.

“Yeah. You know, like. One where someone _doesn’t_ die.”

“I supposed hardship tends to overshadow accomplishment,” Ignis mused as they walked, trying to imagine their scenario from a more emotional point of view. The introspection was cut short, however, as the earth began to tremor once more, and Ignis reached against the stone wall to hold himself upright while Prompto clung to his shoulder. The hold was strong, and managed somehow to steady Ignis instead of shaking him off balance.

“Noct…” It came out of Prompto as something barely louder than whisper. Ignis trained his eyes to the other man’s face, watching as his brows knit together while Prompto wracked himself through his anxiety worrying about their prince. Ignis, too, was plagued with the image of Noctis doubled over, holding his head in pain. Hopeful he was wrong, Ignis put a hand to Prompto’s on his shoulder and gave the other a firm nod, an attempt at encouragement. In unison, they both broke off at a much faster pace down the trail.

It was hot.

They were in a lava-filled crater.

They could not have prepared themselves for the heat.

Their run down the trail did not last long for two reasons: First, fatigue from the heat made Ignis’s legs feel heavy and unsteady; second, they had to stop when they reached a tall rock wall at the end of their path. Prompto reached it first and examined it by running his hands along the rock’s edges. While Ignis leaned against his knees to regain his breath, Prompto put a foot up on a jagged stone and tried to pull himself up.

He fell, landing on his back right at Ignis’s feet, quickly bringing a hand to his head.

“Very smooth, Prompto,” Ignis said, breath still ragged. He straightened his back and held out a hand to help Prompto up. Their contact felt cool; where Ignis’s hands were clammy and hot, Prompto’s were dry and soothing. He stood with their hands clasped together for a moment longer as he still breathed heavy, though at least without that ragged edge.

“Bet Gladio could just throw us up and over it,” Prompto said, pulling away to look at the rock wall once more.

“Indeed.”

How was Prompto not dripping with sweat?

“Here, look, you help me up –” he made for the corner of the wall where a few handholds jutted out closer to the top “—and maybe I can find something to help you.”

It was a good plan.

Ignis gave Prompto a boost with his hands close to the ground, pushing Prompto up high enough for him to get a steady hold on the stone. He was lighter that Ignis expected. Lighter than Noctis, who was spoiled by protein-rich cooking all his life. Ignis found himself watching Prompto’s biceps again as he pulled himself up onto the ledge, noticing how much of Prompto was skin and bones and lean muscle and how little of him was solid mass, like Gladio or even himself.

He needed heavier meals, perhaps a nice creamy soup or a buttery sandwich. More protein, and more fat.

Prompto hung over the edge of the wall, holding down an open hand for Ignis. “I think we can reach,” he said, his voice strained from the weight on his chest and stomach. “Come on, we got this!”

“Alright,” Ignis said as he tried to launch himself up using his feet pushed against either wall for leverage. Prompto grunted as he grabbed Ignis’s wrist with both of his hands, visibly straining himself to try and pull him up. Ignis was so ready to say it wouldn’t work for fear of dragging Prompto back down to the bottom, but just as he was about to let go of the wall, Prompto managed to give him the pull he needed to get a hand over the top of the wall.

He hung with one hand clinging to the rock and the other in both of Prompto’s, while his toes searched the wall for any foothold. As he the tip of his toe gripped just enough of a plateau to give himself the final push, a tiny silver glint slipped out of Prompto’s shirt, brushing his skin as he surged upward and forward, throwing himself onto the stone floor.

“Prompto! The charm!” Ignis exclaimed, standing up as quickly as he’d thrown himself down. “It’s heat resistant!”

“Wha--?” Prompto pulled the tiny camera charm from the end of the chain, an understanding settling on his face. When the metal had brushed Ignis’s cheek, it felt chilled like a piece of metal on a brisk day. Not at all like something sitting against a grown man’s chest in an active volcano. “Oh! Iggy! The cold! That’s it!”

“The Archaean,” Ignis agreed, eyes intent on Prompto’s. Were they thinking the same thing? “I’ve some flasks, if we just—” He had some ice essence, he just needed to create the spell.

“Blizzaga that bitch!”

“Well,” Ignis chuckled at the enthusiasm, “I don’t think I can make it _that_ powerful. But yes.”

They assembled three flasks with a decent Blizzara spell before they carried on, certain they could use these to defeat the Titan. And they were right. Noctis was engaged in a battle against the Archaean when they returned to his side, and they did all they could to help him hold the him off. As soon as they could, they shared their third flask with Gladio.

The battle was theirs.

The victory, however, was indeed overshadowed. Ardyn. _Izunia._ The imperial chancellor swooped in and _helped_ them. Scooped them up and out of the fiery explosive crater, and dropped them off in Duscae.

Ignis was dusty and tired and fatigued, but Noctis was fired up and Gladio was restless. They decided to caravan at Wiz’s Chocobo Ranch rather than roughing it – it was certainly within their budget, and Ignis wouldn’t have to cook.

There was also a shower.

He was about to hoist himself up into the trailer when he saw Prompto standing by himself out in front of one of the chocobo pens. He was rather forlorn, leaning with his elbows on the wooden fence, one foot swinging back and forth with his toes dug into the dirt. Ignis cast a glance toward Noctis and Gladio busy on their phones, then changed his direction to join Prompto by the pens.

Prompto reached up and put a hand on the chocobo’s beak. Ignis had no concept of whether or not chocobos could be _happy_ about human touch, but Prompto was certainly pleased at the bird’s inclination to lean into his hand.

“You have a way with them,” said Ignis, leaning up against a post a few paces back. Prompto jumped and turned around, laughing at his own jumpiness with a sheepish sort of satisfaction while the bird pulled back and squawked.

“Aren’t they the cutest?”

_Not the cutest, no_. Ignis’s smile tightened. That was the first response that came to him, but he resisted letting it linger. He was too tired. Too ragged. Now was not the time. And Prompto was looking at him with impossibly big eyes that spoke to a kind of happiness or pleasure that made the moment of sadness Ignis thought he saw on the beach seem like lifetimes ago.

Prompto seemed like an impossibly complex person for how simply he presented himself.

“They are rather cute,” Ignis offered instead. “You should get some rest. We all earned it.”

Prompto eyed Ignis, then looked between the chocobo and the caravan. “Nah,” he said as he rested his weight back against the fence, and the chocobo moved in close, dipping her head toward his chest. He readily reached up to touch her beak; the action looked natural and smooth, and seeing Prompto so thoroughly in his element felt like looking at a completely different person.

“Very well,” said Ignis, clearing his throat. “I’ll be in the caravan, should you need me.”

Prompto nodded. He didn’t retire until the three of them were already in their bunks, Ignis still awake despite how heavy his eyes dragged. He sat up on Prompto’s arrival, and the other man joined him on the edge of the bed where they went through all the pictures he’d taken at the disc.

“I took a selfie,” Prompto whispered as he flipped to a photo of Prompto giving a thumbs-up while Ignis glared at the empty flasks that would soon contain the blizzara casts.

“Wouldn’t have killed you to help,” Ignis said quietly as he took the camera to look at the shot. The prospect of that much-needed victory Prompto mentioned seemed to have lifted his spirits while they were still there; his smile in the photo actually reached his eyes. He let himself believe for a moment that the sadness in Prompto from before had passed.

“Or I could have immortalized that pinched up look on your face,” Prompto teased.

It made his chest swell.

“Nah. I knew you had it in the bag. Or wait – in the flask?” He laughed at his own joke. Ignis chuckled then passed the camera back. He would be able to sleep well now.


End file.
